Keyhole illuminating device



Jurie 18, 1935. G. J. TAYLOR KEYHOLE ILLUMINATING DEViCE Filed June 8, 1952 Gearya cf. jlgyloz INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

provide a device of the abovekind inwhich the part I 6 of lamp. 8 is threaded, into a socket l! 10 Patented June 18, 1935 g p UNITED STATES .PATENTOFFICES f 2,005,274 f u i HQL W ING Davi s 7 George J. Taylor, Cleveland, ohio AppIieationJuneS,19,32, sera atian 2 Claims. (cream 2.13)

1;:This invention relates to a keyhole illuminating tween; the battery and thelalnp 4. As shown, a device primarily-intended ;to be applied to the conducting strip. l3 extends fromthe end termi- "front doors ofhouses or other-buildings. rial of; battery ll across the top of the latter The invention has'for its primary object the and down one side of the same where its free .5 provision of an electric 1 illuminating,dev ice .end is directed outwardly at an angle asat l4 5 whereby the keyhole of a door lock may be to provide a contact arranged to engage the end illuminated at will, andin which.the electric contact orterminal 150i lamp 8. The other current may be easily switched on and-off. terminal of the lfampfBis formedas usual by the A more specific object of the invention is to threaded pa'rtlB thereof. The threaded shell .or

arrangement and :form of parts is simple, and securedjto the door knob 9 so as to be in electrical which may be easily applied to a door, the lamp connection therewith, and a push button 58 is or illuminating device proper being located in a mounted in the'outer wall of the knob 9 so as to position to'minimize danger of breaking ordammake contact with the other terminal or metallic agingthe same. casing of battery II when pushed inwardly, the 15 The invention consists in the novel form, cominsulating c v in l2 being Cut aw at this bination and arrangement of parts hereinafter point as indicated at l9. A sprin a seculed O more fully described, shown in the accompanythe inside of the outer wall of knob 9 normally ing drawing and claimed.' p holds the push button away from the casing In the drawing: terminal of battery II, and such spring is in 20 Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View electrical connection with. the knob 9 and. the of a portion of a door having the present inveninner portion of push button l8 so that thelatter tio applied thereto. is always in electrical connection with the knob.

Figure -2 is a view looking toward the right f This forms a switch by which the current is nor- Figure 1 with the knob and adjacent parts in 'mally cut O f the p d y Which t 25 central longitudinal section; and Current y e p e at W111 110 Said p- Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 of When the switch is closed a circuit is closed Figure 2. through conducting strip I 3, lamp terminals l5 Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 indicates and I6, fi Spring p ut s a d 30 the portion of a door in which the usual locking the Casing terminal O battery 30 means is located, the keyhole and escutcheon AS ,ShOWn Clearly in Figure the nob 9 has plate of said locking means being respectively a reduced attaching Stem 2| p d to' ceive indicated at 6 and i. The door ro er and the and t be s d in t e Ordinary way n t pr locking means maybe of any usual or preferred jecting end of the stem or spindle'22 that coacts constructiomand they form no part of this inwith the door latching mechanism. As shown, 35 vention, v the outer end portion of the stem 2| adjacent the In order that a, person may b abl t lo t inner side of knob 53 is flared at 22 to provide an the keyhole 6 after dark and readily insert the n lin d W ll vi an p ng 4 in he lower key therein, an illuminating device is provided part th r th u which t y a p 8 may b 40 whereby the keyhole may be illuminated, such intr du d for being threaded in the s t 40 illuminating device being electrically operated. o e a m t with the Contact Hi. "The socket As shown, the illuminating device comprises a ll extends rearwardly and downwardlyfrom the small electric lamp 8 located adjacent to the inner wall of knobfl so as to aline with opening 24 keyhole. To minimize the danger of injury to and toposition the lamp 8 so that the rays therethe lamp 8 and also to cause the rays of light from will strike the keyhole 6 at an angle so that 45 to strike the keyhole at an angle so that th the latter may be most effectively illuminated and latter may be readily located, the lamp 8 is 10- e y readily locfl-lled- AS the l mp 8 barely cated at the inner side of the outer doorknob 9. p j ts t u th p n it s e ctiv ly To make the device com achthe door knob 9 is pro ec fr m nj ry y the flared p r i0n'23 f hollow and may have a pair of spaced clips I0 neck 2|, the socket l'lbeing wholly housed within 50 therein and attached to the inner wall thereof said flared portion 23. I to receive and support an electric battery II in The advantages of the above-described arproper position within the knob 9. An insulatrangement of parts with regard to compactness ing covering I2 is placed over the battery, and and durability of construction, efiiciency of illusuitable electrical connections are provided bemination, and convenience of operation, will be v55 readily apparent. The invention may be readily applied to a door already in use, it being unnecessary to change any parts thereof with the exception of the knob, which knob can be readily removed from the spindle 22, and a knob provided with the present illuminating device secured in its place.

To permit the parts to be easily removed, such as is necessary when renewal of the battery is required, the knob 9 may be formed in two parts joined together by a threaded connection as at 25.

What I claim as new is:

1. An illuminating device for the keyhole of a door lock, comprising a hollow metallic door knob having a reduced attaching stem provided with a flared outer end portion, an electric lamp socket carried by and extending inwardly and downwardly from the inner side of the knob and completely housed within said flared outer end portion of the stem, said flared end portion of the stem having an opening in alinement with the lamp socket at the bottom thereof, an electric lamp threaded in said socket, an electric battery disposed in the door knob and having a rear contact engaged by the central terminal of said electric lamp, said socket being in electrical connection with the door knob, a push button at the outer side of and in electrical connection with the door knob, said push button being arranged to be pressed into engagement with the casing terminal of the battery for closing the circuit of said lamp, an insulating covering on said battery, and spaced clips attached to the inner wall of the door knob and arranged one above the other for receiving and supporting the battery within the knob in an upright position.

2. As a self-contained means for illuminating keyholes at will by a permanently-located pushbutton operated electric light bulb, said means comprising a unit adapted to be removably secured to the knob spindle of a door, and including a knob formation characterized by a knob and its stem, said knob being hollow and of dimensions to receive the lamp battery and permit the knob to form the sole support for the illuminating means, said knob including a casing having a removable closure carrying the push-button control, said casing forming the grip surface of the knob, the casing carrying a lamp socket the axis of which is inclined to the axis of the knob to cause the lamp rays to directly illuminate the zone of the key-hole, said casing including a wall to which the knob stem is secured by a flared formation, said socket having its inner end secured to said wall and projecting in the direction of the flared portion to locate the socket as projecting exteriorly of said wall, the interior of the socket being accessible for lamp positioning through an opening of the flared portion, whereby the interior of the casing will be free to receive a battery and the essential circuit connections.

GEORGE J. TAYLOR. 

